by Owzat » Fri May 29, 2009 9:42 am
The mancs worried too much about their opponent's game and not their own. Wrong starting line-up, wrong tactics. It might work in the Premiership, but then 19 of their 28 wins in the league came against bottom half sides against whom they could have fielded that kind of side and won.
I'm not so sure we'd have fared much better, we would theoretically have better defensive cover with Kuyt, Gerrard, Alonso and Mascherano, but Barca are an excellent side. The mancs have had problems against top sides this season, unfortunately for them Barca were the first top side they played in the Champions League. They won only one of their six 'big four' clashes in England, beating an off-colour Chelsea and even the trophies they won were against poor sides - LDU Quito in the "Club World Championship", pompey (14th) in the Community Shield on penalties and spudz (8th) on penalties in the League Cup. Maybe big games, but they certainly didn't play the big teams. When they faced Zenit St Petersburg they lost in the Super Cup, they love the league because there are so many easy pickings in it for them.
Look at the teams they played in the cups :
Community Shield - Pompey
UEFA Super Cup - ZENIT ST PETERSBURG
FA Cup - Southampton, spudz, Derby, Fulham, BITTERS (SF)
League Cup - Boro, QPR, Blackburn, Derby, spudz
World Club Championship - Gamba Osaka, LDU Quito
Champions League - Villareal, Celtic, Aalborg, Inter, Porto, Arsenal, BARCELONA
I think we might have gone a long way had we played those teams, they certainly do get some ripe ties with the likes of Derby, QPR and Southampton (all Championship, NONE in the play-offs or promoted) ONE 'big four' clash in the cups, Arsenal in their poor season. We have not had too big a problem with the big sides, our 1-3 reverse at Anfield to Chelsea the exception.
I pointed out to some manc on another forum that they'd been far from convincing, that was not long after the Club World Championship. He had a predictable pop at Liverpool, but the fact remains true and they may have wrapped up the Premiership, but what I said is supported by their arrogant exit from the FA Cup and their defeat to Barcelona. I don't subscribe to the 'Chelsea was robbed' theory, not getting any of a few shouts for penalties is not robbing anyone*, but I think the mancs were robbed of their chance to win the trophy.
*of the shouts for penalties, I would have given one but that is based on an angle the ref didn't have. I think far too much is made of that, ridiculous over-reaction by the fans and media. Most fans of the attacking side would want them given, if they were on the defending side they'd deem most of them harsh if given. If in doubt, the ref shouldn't give them. Chelsea weren't good enough to beat Barcelona without relying on ref assistance so should have no complaints.
Never buy from PC World, product quality is poor and their 'customer service' is even poorer